Sunday, September 18, 2011

Entry 172 9.18.11

I am beyond excited for the end of this contract. Not because life is bad here on board, but because I've been working on my travel arrangements and there are so many things to go out and see!

It's going to be a busy eighteen days between my sign off from the Grandeur on the 2nd and when I meet the Independence on the 20th. I'm spending sign off day in Palma, relaxing at a hotel. I plan on sitting on the beach, drinking a beer, and watching the ship sail off into the sunset (something I've never done yet, thank goodness). Granted, this will probably take about four hours, as the Old Lady usually only makes about four knots around the island of Mallorca, but I'm okay with that.

The ferry takes me to Barcelona the next day, where I'm staying in a youth hostel off of the Plaza Catalunya. I hope to hit some jam sessions and catch some of the night life that we've been missing each week. Three days later, it's an overnight train from Barcelona to Paris where I'll be seeing my family for the first time in seven months! They're on holiday (vacation, David, vacation . . . damn I've been around the brits far too long) outside the country for the first time, and I'm spending a week with them there.

Still working on the rest of the travel arrangements, but Vienna, Amsterdam, and London are likely choices. You can see why I'm beyond excited. One week, six days, thirteen hours, eight minutes, and twenty three seconds to go . . .

Later

You can tell that the new captain is on board because the ship is rocking back and forth much more than usual tonight. He doesn't like to use the stabilizers.